This month join me for a special presentation on the Ashokan Reservoir which still provides 40% of New York City's drinking water. We will travel back in time to the early 20th century when Southern Italian immigrant laborers, many from Napoli, escaped the impoverished and dangerous Mezzogiorno to find work and a new life in New York. Learn how these laborers made their way to the Catskill mountains in Upstate NY and found work on the reservoir. We will also reckon with what was lost, the Esopus Valley towns like Olive, Brown's Station, and Broadhead Bridge which were either relocated or simply demolished to make way for the reservoir. What happened to the people, buildings, and graves of these historic towns? Listen to find out! Here's a link to the official DEC web page on the reservoir, https://dec.ny.gov/places/ashokan-reservoir Here are some of my food recommendations for the episode including the Bread Alone Boiceville location, https://www.breadalone.com/ Caffe in Woodstock, https://www.caffewoodstock.com/ , The Garden Cafe, https://www.thegardencafewoodstock.com/ and Yum Yum Noodle, https://www.yumyumnoodlebar.com/
3 Jul 2026
Episode 11: Sojourner Truth
Join me after a long hiatus for an episode dedicated to Sojourner Truth. Truth was an abolitionist, pioneer of women's rights, preacher, Union Army recruiter and wore many other hats during her time. Her roots are right here in Ulster County NY in the heart of the Hudson Valley. In this episode I do a whirlwind biographical history of Sojourner Truth, of course followed by my usual tips on how to get out and visit the historic sites in our area. Here is a link to the full text of Truth's most famous speech "Ain't I a Woman" which I read during the show, https://www.nps.gov/articles/sojourner-truth.htm . Most of the sites I discuss during the show don't have dedicated web pages, but the Sojourner Truth State Park does so I will link that here, https://parks.ny.gov/visit/state-parks/sojourner-truth-state-park I will also link the website for the young Sojourner Truth statue in Port Ewen covered in the show, https://www.esopus.gov/visit/sojourner-truths-time-in-esopus-ny/ . My food recommendations this episode are the Hoffman House, https://www.thehoffmanhousetavern.com/ Lucky Catskill, ((845) 802-0046 (tel:(845)%20802-0046)) Brickmen, https://brickmenkingston.com/ Kingston Social, https://www.kingstonsocialny.com/ Tony's Pizza, https://www.tonyspizzeriabroadway.com/Welcome.tpl?action=nc&from=Top125 New China, ((845) 334-9203 (tel:8453349203)), and Mario's Pizza, ((845) 338-1157 (tel:8453381157))
4 Mar 2026
Episode 10: Fort Ticonderoga
Host [Host Name] explores Fort Ticonderoga's pivotal role in the Seven Years' War and American Revolution, and its Romanticism-inspired restoration into a museum.
21 Dec 2025
Episode 9: Christmas in New York
The host explores New York's pivotal role in shaping iconic Christmas traditions, from Washington Irving's influence to the origins of Santa Claus and Victorian contributions, offering a historical journey through various sites.
28 Nov 2025
Episode 8: Albany New York
Empire State History podcast explores Albany's history, including its Indigenous peoples, Dutch and English colonists, the Revolution, economic growth, and landmarks like the Capitol building.
27 Sept 2025
Episode 7: Sleepy Hollow Part 3 Halloween Special!
This episode explores the haunting folklore and local history of Sleepy Hollow, introducing listeners to legendary figures like the Lady in White, Captain Kidd, and the Headless Horseman.
30 Aug 2025
Episode 6: Sleepy Hollow (Part 2) 19th Century and Gilded Age
Host [Host Name] explores Sleepy Hollow's 19th century and Gilded Age, featuring author Washington Irving and the legacies of figures like Rockefeller and Carnegie.
21 Jul 2025
Episode 5: Sleepy Hollow Country Part 1
The episode explores Sleepy Hollow's colonial and Indigenous history, including Washington Irving's legend and the cultural impact of Leni-Lenape, Dutch, African, and English influences.
1 Jul 2025
Episode 4: Lake George NY and Fort William Henry
The episode explores the intense battles around Lake George, New York, during the French and Indian War, which inspired James Fenimore Cooper's novel, *The Last of the Mohicans*.
11 Jun 2025
Episode 3: Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site Val-Kill
The host explores Eleanor Roosevelt's life and legacy, highlighting her work at Val-Kill and offering insights for visiting the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.
15 May 2025
Episode:2 FDR National Historic Site
In Episode 2 I dive into the history of and how to visit FDR National Historic Site aka Springwood in Hyde Park NY. Springwood was the home of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The site also contains the visitor’s center and the Presidential Library and museum which contains a huge amount of interpretive signs about FDR and interactive exhibits.
Here’s the website to help plan your visit https://www.nps.gov/hofr/index.htm
I don’t cover everything about FDR or the Roosevelts in the episode because that is beyond the scope of this podcast but I do give a mini-biography covering what I consider the main points of his career including his term as governor of NY, the Depression, the New Deal, the presidency and of course World War Two.
19 Apr 2025
Episode 1: Fort Montgomery
Welcome to our very first episode of Empire State History and thank you for joining us on this journey! This podcast will be a historical narrative with information on how to visit the fantastic historic sites we have here in New York. For our first episode we visit Fort Montgomery a Revolutionary War fort attacked and destroyed by the British in 1777.
See more show notes and photos at our website: http://www.empirestatehistory.com
https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/28/details.aspx (Fort Montgomery)
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/13/details.aspx (Bear Mountain)
Who has been a guest on Empire State History
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Washington Irving
Rockefeller
Carnegie
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